{"id":1387,"date":"2025-02-22T09:19:50","date_gmt":"2025-02-22T14:19:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/?p=1387"},"modified":"2025-03-02T15:56:20","modified_gmt":"2025-03-02T20:56:20","slug":"chinas-navy-conducted-a-fire-exercise-off-the-coast-of-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/?p=1387","title":{"rendered":"China&#8217;s Navy Conducted a Live-Fire Exercise off the Coast of Australia?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"boldgrid-section\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-lg-12 col-md-12 col-xs-12 col-sm-12\">\n<p class=\"\">It&#8217;s been a minute since I have posted. I, not unlike some others I suspect, have been getting caught up in the news cycle more than normal and have let this side project of writing slide a little. But this stops today!<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">In my obsessive doom scrolling of X, formerly known as Twitter, a couple stories about the Chinese Navy and recent live fire exercises have really caught my attention. I was not sure how to frame an actual article about it until I saw this post on X:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Naval presence is political messaging in its rawest forms.<\/p>\n<p>Sending warships to another nation\u2019s backyard says, \u201cWe can reach you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A nation shows its hard power projection by making others feel its presence. This is an assertion of blue-water naval capability.<\/p>\n<p>\u23ec<\/p>\n<p>The\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/64A1vFCLzq\">https:\/\/t.co\/64A1vFCLzq<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Yhaf4PrQrZ\">pic.twitter.com\/Yhaf4PrQrZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 People&#8217;s Art of War \u4eba\u6c11\u5175\u6cd5 (@pplsartofwar) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/pplsartofwar\/status\/1893063296405639628?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 21, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"\"><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">&nbsp;The money quote:<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8220;Naval presence is political messaging in its rawest forms. Sending warships to another nation\u2019s backyard says, \u201cWe can reach you.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The post continues:<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8220;The live-fire exercise threats shows Australia that Chinese military presence is not just the South China Sea or Taiwan Strait. This move is meant to erode Australia\u2019s sense of strategic distance.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The exercise has caused disruption:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">China&#8217;s &#8220;unannounced&#8221; live fire drill in the Tasman Sea, within Australian EEZ, has disrupted civil aviation industry the region.<\/p>\n<p>The motive of this aggressive drill is to let Australia &amp; New Zealand accept China&#8217;s dominance in this region. 1\/3 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DrewPavlou?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@DrewPavlou<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ElbridgeColby?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ElbridgeColby<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/lnEk3YbpH7\">pic.twitter.com\/lnEk3YbpH7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Michael Turner (@Michael71T) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Michael71T\/status\/1893227179888054697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 22, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"\"><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">This seems like a pretty big deal, so I wondered if China has done this before. So, I asked Google and our local generative AI tool.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">According to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/australia-says-china-failed-explain-inadequate-navy-live-fire-notice-2025-02-22\/\">Reuters<\/a>, there was actually two live fire exercises conducted in the Pacific, but they do not mention previous exercises. They state:<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8220;New Zealand said the Chinese navy conducted a live-fire exercise in international waters near the Pacific nation on Saturday, a day after it held a similar drill between Australia and New Zealand that forced airlines to divert flights.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Interestingly this is the response from AI when I asked the question, &#8220;Has China conducted live exercises near Australia?&#8221;:<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>It&#8217;s important to be cautious about claiming definitive events like military exercises without verified information. While there have been instances of Chinese military activity in the Indo-Pacific region that have caused concern for Australia, there haven&#8217;t been confirmed reports of <strong>live-fire exercises<\/strong> conducted by China specifically <strong>near Australian territory<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>Here&#8217;s what we know:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul class=\"\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul class=\"\">\n<li><em><strong>China&#8217;s military presence in the region is growing:<\/strong>&nbsp;This includes increased naval activity in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, areas that are strategically important to Australia.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>Australia expresses concerns:<\/strong>&nbsp;The Australian government has expressed concerns over China&#8217;s growing military assertiveness in the region and has increased its own defense capabilities in response.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>No confirmed reports of live-fire exercises near Australia:<\/strong>&nbsp;While there have been reports of Chinese military exercises in the South China Sea and other parts of the Indo-Pacific, there haven&#8217;t been confirmed reports of such exercises in close proximity to Australia.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><strong>It&#8217;s crucial to rely on verified information from reputable sources when discussing sensitive topics like military activity.<\/strong> News outlets and government sources from multiple countries are usually good places to start for unbiased information.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>If you&#8217;re interested in learning more about China&#8217;s military activities in the Indo-Pacific region and Australia&#8217;s response, I recommend looking at reports from organizations like the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), and government defense publications from Australia and other countries in the region.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">What does Grok say when I ask, &#8220;Summarize the recent Chinese activity near Australia:&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8220;<span class=\"css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3\"><span class=\"css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-a8ghvy\">As of February 22, 2025, recent Chinese military activity near Australia has heightened tensions in the region. In mid-February, three Chinese naval vessels\u2014a frigate (Hengyang), a cruiser (Zunyi), and a supply tanker (Weishanhu)\u2014were observed operating in Australia\u2019s exclusive economic zone, initially spotted in the Coral Sea off Queensland\u2019s northeast coast after transiting through Southeast Asia and the Torres Strait. These ships, part of China\u2019s Southern Theatre Command, proceeded south along Australia\u2019s east coast, coming as close as 150 nautical miles to Sydney before positioning approximately 340 nautical miles east of New South Wales by February 21.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<div dir=\"ltr\" class=\"css-146c3p1 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-1adg3ll r-1b5gpbm r-a8ghvy\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span class=\"css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3\"><span class=\"css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-a8ghvy\">On February 21, China conducted a rare military exercise in the Tasman Sea, between Australia and New Zealand, which may have involved live fire. The exercise, deemed &#8220;unusual&#8221; by Australian officials, prompted the diversion of commercial flights, including those operated by Qantas and Emirates, after China issued a last-minute alert via a civil aviation broadcast rather than directly notifying Australian authorities. While the exercise occurred in international waters and complied with international law, Australia criticized the lack of prior notice\u2014typically expected 12 to 24 hours in advance\u2014as inadequate, raising safety concerns for civilian aviation. Australian and New Zealand forces, including ships and P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft, closely monitored the Chinese fleet throughout its movements.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\" class=\"css-146c3p1 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-1adg3ll r-1b5gpbm r-a8ghvy\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span class=\"css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3\"><span class=\"css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-a8ghvy\">This naval activity followed a separate incident on February 11, when a Chinese J-16 fighter jet released flares dangerously close (within 30 meters) to an Australian P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea during a routine patrol. Australia labeled the encounter &#8220;unsafe and unprofessional,&#8221; while China claimed the Australian plane had intruded into its airspace near the Xisha Islands, justifying its response as lawful.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\" class=\"css-146c3p1 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-1adg3ll r-a8ghvy r-p1pxzi\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span class=\"css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3\"><span class=\"css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-a8ghvy\">The timing of these events coincided with a recent Australia-China defense dialogue in Beijing aimed at improving military transparency, as well as a visit to Canberra by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief, suggesting possible strategic signaling by China. Australia\u2019s government, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Defense Minister Richard Marles, emphasized that while China\u2019s actions were legal under international norms, they were closely watched due to their proximity and the pattern of recent tense encounters, including prior incidents in 2023 and 2024 involving Chinese aircraft and sonar use against Australian forces. The opposition labeled the naval presence &#8220;provocative,&#8221; reflecting domestic political friction over the government\u2019s handling of China relations.&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">Not exactly what I was looking for but still important. What about some more context? Has China done this before? Again Grok:<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>&#8220;Yes, China has conducted similar military activities near Australia in the past, though the specific combination of actions\u2014naval deployments in Australia\u2019s exclusive economic zone, exercises in the Tasman Sea, and confrontations with Australian aircraft\u2014varies in frequency and intensity.&#8221;<\/em><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">Grok lists the incidents and summarizes the situation as follows:<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\n<p class=\"\"><em>&#8220;China\u2019s military activities near Australia have increased in frequency and assertiveness since around 2016, correlating with its broader strategic rivalry with the U.S. and its allies in the Indo-Pacific. The AUKUS pact (announced in 2021), which enhances Australia\u2019s naval capabilities with nuclear-powered submarines, and Australia\u2019s role in the Quad (with the U.S., India, and Japan) have likely contributed to Beijing\u2019s interest in projecting power closer to Australian waters. While the February 2025 activities\u2014naval transit, a Tasman Sea exercise, and an aircraft incident\u2014are not entirely new, their concentration within a short timeframe and proximity to Australia\u2019s eastern seaboard mark an escalation in visibility and perceived provocation.<\/em><\/p>\n<div dir=\"ltr\" class=\"css-146c3p1 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-37j5jr r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-1adg3ll r-a8ghvy r-p1pxzi\"><em><span class=\"css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3\"><span class=\"css-1jxf684 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-poiln3 r-a8ghvy\">In summary, China has done this before, but the recent events reflect a bolder and more coordinated approach, building on a decade-long trend of expanding its military footprint in the region.&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<p class=\"\">So, is this a big deal? I think it is and is something we should keep an eye on. Particularly since the perceived elevated importance of the Quad. <a href=\"https:\/\/thediplomat.com\/2025\/01\/the-quad-under-trump-2-0-early-signs-of-shift-amid-continuity\/\">From <\/a>the Diplomat:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\" style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">\n<p class=\"\"><i>&#8220;One of the Trump administration\u2019s first foreign policy acts, less than a day after the inauguration, was <\/i><a style=\"font-style: italic;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/quad-foreign-ministers-meet-washington-signal-trumps-china-focus-2025-01-21\/\">convening <\/a><i>the Quad Foreign Ministers\u2019 Meeting (FMM) on January 21. The FMM involved wide-ranging discussions addressing different dimensions of the Indo-Pacific, culminating with a consensus on the salience of <\/i><a style=\"font-style: italic;\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/uGa4rjg1Bw\">\u201cthinking bigger,\u201d<\/a><i>and a concise joint statement. The&nbsp;<\/i><a style=\"font-style: italic;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mea.gov.in\/press-releases.htm?dtl\/38931\/Joint+Statement+by+the+Quad+Foreign+Ministers+January+21+2025\">joint statement<\/a><i>, relatively shorter than each of its precedents, entailed changes on at least three counts.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s been a minute since I have posted. I, not unlike some others I suspect, have been getting caught up in the news cycle more than normal and have let this side project of writing slide a little. But this stops today! In my obsessive doom scrolling of X, formerly known as Twitter, a couple [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"bgseo_title":"","bgseo_description":"","bgseo_robots_index":"index","bgseo_robots_follow":"follow","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[207,21,208],"class_list":["post-1387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bullets","tag-australia","tag-china","tag-new-zealand"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/China-live-fire.jpg","post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1387"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1387\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1394,"href":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1387\/revisions\/1394"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cognitivewarriorproject.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}